Stocking form



L.' E. CARR sTocxING FORM June 5, 1951 Filed Mrch' 28, 1949 l [Hafen or LzZZz'an/', @arr Patented June 5, 1951` uUN ITEDY IS'l`A"l`ll":`.S PATENT OFFICE 2,555,632 's'rookING FRM Lillian E. Carr, Washington, D. o. Application ina'ch 2s, 19119,sri11`i-r-ae3j 2 claims. (ol. aas- 111) This invention relates 4to a ldevice to aid in getting a stocking into a collapsed position to enable more readily the putting on of the stocking on the leg and foot of the wearer.

It is a well known fact that silk and nylon stockings as worn by women are easily snagged and ripped, more especially if the stocking is very sheer. This is particularly true in putting on the stockings. If the hands and fingers of the intended wearer are rough, and the wearer bunches up the stocking with the thumb and forenger of the hand, in the usual process of putting the stocking on, then smoothing it on the leg, the stocking is apt to become snagged or ripped.

The present device is so constructed as to avoid the difliculties described and make it more convenient and easy to put the stocking on. It also acts as a considerable time saver because the stockings are instantly ready and a person can arrange the stockings a considerable time before intending to actually put them on and thus have them immediately ready. .It is only necessary to drop the stocking with the open end of it on the top of the device and let it drape itself into a number of folds. The device is provided with a channel by which the air which would ordinarily form a pocket and might otherwise prevent the effective draping of the stocking is readily exhausted.

In using the device after the stocking has been draped thereon as described, the wearer will simply lift the annular element with the thumb and forenger of each hand, on the respective opposite sides of the device until the foot end of the stocking, that is the other end of the toe part can be contained within the thumb and forenger of each hand. The annular element is then allowed to drop down out of the way and the wearer proceeds to put on the stocking.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawing and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation partly in section of the device,

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a modied shape.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I desig- 'nate's generally a conical 'member having 'the large end thereof lowerrnost and formed with a dome-shaped top II. The conical member II) is hollow and may be formed of any suitable material such as plastic, metal or the like and the conical member II! has secured to the lowermost end thereof an annular base I2.

A substantially ring-shaped stripping 'member I4 is adapted to initially engage on the upper side of the base I2 and is formed with a concave upper side I5 within which the inverted top of a stocking .f5 is adapted to engage. The conical member I8 is provided with a vertically disposed air release channel I6 which extends from the top II as indicated at I1, and connects with a horizontally disposed channel I8 which is formed radially in the base I2.

In the use and operation of this device, the stocking is inverted, being suspendingly held in one hand by the toe, and the top of the stocking is then dropped over the conical member I0. The stocking is then lowered vertically onto the conical member In with the top resting on the annular stripper I4. The stocking will assume a series of folds as indicated in Figure 2, and the stocking is completely lowered so that the toe portion T will rest on the dome-shaped top I I. The stripper I4 is then raised by extending .a thumb or forenger therebeneath with either the thumb or forenger contacting the toe T, which at this time is resting on the top II. After the stocking has been stripped from the conical member I0, the collapsed and folded stocking is then disengaged from the stripper I4 and the stocking is applied to the foot and leg in the normal manner.

With the device as hereinbefore described, the stocking is initially collapsed before being applied so that it is not necessary to extend a hand into the interior of the stocking with the possibility of having the hand snag threads of the stocking. With the stocking collapsed, the foot is. inserted into the collapsed stocking and the body portion of the stocking is then pulled upwardly onto the leg thereby eliminating the usual pulling of the stocking and the necessity for collapsing the stocking by inserting hands or fingers into the interior of the stocking with the possibility of snagging threads.

As seen in Figure 4 of the drawings, the device as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 could be of a shape in cross section, not necessarily absolutely round, but instead more like the shape of a human leg. Numerals lil' `and I6' correspond to II] and I6 in the other views of the drawing.

The cut-outs or indentations 20-20 on either side of the stripper |=4 may be dispensed with if desired. However, they effect both a saving in material as well as an increased ease of manipulation of the stripper.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but .claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A stocking collapsing device comprising an annular base, a conical member :arising from said base, said member having a substantially continuous air releasing channel extending radially Y of said base and vertically of said conical member to the apex of the cone and an annular upwardly concaved stripper having a central opening therein within which the lower large end of said member is adapted loosely to engage when said stripper is resting on said base.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein the conical member is of an ovoidal cross-sectional 4 conguration conforming to the shape of the human leg.

LILLIAN E. CARR.

REFERENCES CITED 

